scholarly journals Biological Prescience: The Role of Anticipation in Organismal Processes

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie Deans
Keyword(s):  
Human Mind ◽  
Genetic Networks ◽  
Biochemical Networks ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Future Scenarios ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Unique Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Physiological Systems

Anticipation is the act of using information about the past and present to make predictions about future scenarios. As a concept, it is predominantly associated with the psychology of the human mind; however, there is accumulating evidence that diverse taxa without complex neural systems, and even biochemical networks themselves, can respond to perceived future conditions. Although anticipatory processes, such as circadian rhythms, stress priming, and cephalic responses, have been extensively studied over the last three centuries, newer research on anticipatory genetic networks in microbial species shows that anticipatory processes are widespread, evolutionarily old, and not simply reserved for neurological complex organisms. Overall, data suggest that anticipatory responses represent a unique type of biological processes that can be distinguished based on their organizational properties and mechanisms. Unfortunately, an empirically based biologically explicit framework for describing anticipatory processes does not currently exist. This review attempts to fill this void by discussing the existing examples of anticipatory processes in non-cognitive organisms, providing potential criteria for defining anticipatory processes, as well as their putative mechanisms, and drawing attention to the often-overlooked role of anticipation in the evolution of physiological systems. Ultimately, a case is made for incorporating an anticipatory framework into the existing physiological paradigm to advance our understanding of complex biological processes.

scholarly journals MicroRNAs: Biological Regulators in Pathogen–Host Interactions

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Maia Acuña ◽  
Lucile Maria Floeter-Winter ◽  
Sandra Marcia Muxel
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Small Rnas ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Biological Aspects

An inflammatory response is essential for combating invading pathogens. Several effector components, as well as immune cell populations, are involved in mounting an immune response, thereby destroying pathogenic organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. In the past decade, microRNAs (miRNAs), a group of noncoding small RNAs, have emerged as functionally significant regulatory molecules with the significant capability of fine-tuning biological processes. The important role of miRNAs in inflammation and immune responses is highlighted by studies in which the regulation of miRNAs in the host was shown to be related to infectious diseases and associated with the eradication or susceptibility of the infection. Here, we review the biological aspects of microRNAs, focusing on their roles as regulators of gene expression during pathogen–host interactions and their implications in the immune response against Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Toxoplasma, and Plasmodium infectious diseases.

scholarly journals CUL4A ubiquitin ligase: a promising drug target for cancer and other human diseases

Open Biology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 130217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Puneet Sharma ◽  
Alo Nag
Keyword(s):  
Ubiquitin Ligase ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cellular Transformation ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cullin 4A ◽  
Broad Overview

The ability of cullin 4A (CUL4A), a scaffold protein, to recruit a repertoire of substrate adaptors allows it to assemble into distinct E3 ligase complexes to mediate turnover of key regulatory proteins. In the past decade, a considerable wealth of information has been generated regarding its biology, regulation, assembly, molecular architecture and novel functions. Importantly, unravelling of its association with multiple tumours and modulation by viral proteins establishes it as one of the key proteins that may play an important role in cellular transformation. Considering the role of its substrate in regulating the cell cycle and maintenance of genomic stability, understanding the detailed aspects of these processes will have significant consequences for the treatment of cancer and related diseases. This review is an effort to provide a broad overview of this multifaceted ubiquitin ligase and addresses its critical role in regulation of important biological processes. More importantly, its tremendous potential to be exploited for therapeutic purposes has been discussed.

scholarly journals Ten good reasons to consider biological processes in prevention and intervention research

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 745-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore P. Beauchaine ◽  
Emily Neuhaus ◽  
Sharon L. Brenner ◽  
Lisa Gatzke-Kopp
Keyword(s):  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Developmental Psychopathology ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Psychiatric Disturbance ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
Heterotypic Continuity ◽  
Improve Treatment Efficacy

AbstractMost contemporary accounts of psychopathology acknowledge the importance of both biological and environmental influences on behavior. In developmental psychopathology, multiple etiological mechanisms for psychiatric disturbance are well recognized, including those operating at genetic, neurobiological, and environmental levels of analysis. However, neuroscientific principles are rarely considered in current approaches to prevention or intervention. In this article, we explain why a deeper understanding of the genetic and neural substrates of behavior is essential for the next generation of preventive interventions, and we outline 10 specific reasons why considering biological processes can improve treatment efficacy. Among these, we discuss (a) the role of biomarkers and endophenotypes in identifying those most in need of prevention; (b) implications for treatment of genetic and neural mechanisms of homotypic comorbidity, heterotypic comorbidity, and heterotypic continuity; (c) ways in which biological vulnerabilities moderate the effects of environmental experience; (d) situations in which Biology × Environment interactions account for more variance in key outcomes than main effects; and (e) sensitivity of neural systems, via epigenesis, programming, and neural plasticity, to environmental moderation across the life span. For each of the 10 reasons outlined we present an example from current literature and discuss critical implications for prevention.

scholarly journals Non-coding RNAs in the Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aadil Yousuf ◽  
Abrar Qurashi
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Axonal Loss ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Ms Pathogenesis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an early onset chronic neurological condition in adults characterized by inflammation, demyelination, gliosis, and axonal loss in the central nervous system. The pathological cause of MS is complex and includes both genetic and environmental factors. Non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), specifically miRNAs and lncRNAs, are important regulators of various biological processes. Over the past decade, many studies have investigated both miRNAs and lncRNAs in patients with MS. Since then, insightful knowledge has been gained in this field. Here, we review the role of miRNAs and lncRNAs in MS pathogenesis and discuss their implications for diagnosis and treatment.

scholarly journals Guiding the interactive exploration of metabolic pathway interconnections

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilir Jusufi ◽  
Christian Klukas ◽  
Andreas Kerren ◽  
Falk Schreiber
Keyword(s):  
Real Data ◽  
Biochemical Networks ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Comprehensive Understanding ◽  
Topological Information ◽  
Common Solution ◽  
The Past ◽  
Complete Network ◽  
Research Areas

Approaches to investigate biological processes have been of strong interest in the past few years and are the focus of several research areas, especially Systems Biology. Biochemical networks as representations of processes are very important for a comprehensive understanding of living beings. Drawings of these networks are often visually overloaded and do not scale. A common solution to deal with this complexity is to divide the complete network, for example, the metabolism, into a large set of single pathways that are hierarchically structured. If those pathways are visualized, this strategy generates additional navigation and exploration problems as the user loses the context within the complete network. In this article, we present a general solution to this problem of visualizing interconnected pathways and discuss it in context of biochemical networks. Our new visualization approach supports the analyst in obtaining an overview to related pathways if they are working within a particular pathway of interest. By using glyphs, brushing, and topological information of the related pathways, our interactive visualization is able to intuitively guide the exploration and navigation process, and thus the analysis processes too. To deal with real data and current networks, our tool has been implemented as a plugin for the VANTED system.

Attention in Augustine

Rhizomata ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-270
Author(s):  
Lenka Karfíková
Keyword(s):  
Sense Organ ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
The Body ◽  
External Object ◽  
Sense Perception ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Will ◽  
With Memory

Abstract The article treats the role of attention (intentio or attentio) in Augustine’s analysis of sense perception, the notion of time, and the Trinitarian structure of the human mind. The term intentio covers a broad range of meanings in Augustine’s usage. Its most fundamental meaning is the life-giving presence of the soul in the body, intensified in attention’s being concentrated on a particular thing or experience; Augustine also uses the term attentio in this latter sense. According to his analysis of time, by way of attention (intentio or attentio), the soul fixes the present in which the future passes into the past. Due to the intention of the soul, the form abstracted from an external object is both imprinted into the sense organ and retained in the memory in order to be, by intention again, recalled before the sight of mind. As “the intention of the will” or just “the will”, attention connects intellectual understanding with memory. In Augustine’s eyes, attention has a different quality depending on the object it is oriented to, and a different intensity, ranging from inattentive distraction (distentio) to concentrated effort (intentio).

scholarly journals The Pervasive Role of the miR-181 Family in Development, Neurodegeneration, and Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia Indrieri ◽  
Sabrina Carrella ◽  
Pietro Carotenuto ◽  
Sandro Banfi ◽  
Brunella Franco
Keyword(s):  
Mirna Family ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Small Noncoding Rnas ◽  
The Past ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
Expression Evidence

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs playing a fundamental role in the regulation of gene expression. Evidence accumulating in the past decades indicate that they are capable of simultaneously modulating diverse signaling pathways involved in a variety of pathophysiological processes. In the present review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the function of a highly conserved group of miRNAs, the miR-181 family, both in physiological as well as in pathological conditions. We summarize a large body of studies highlighting a role for this miRNA family in the regulation of key biological processes such as embryonic development, cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, mitochondrial function, and immune response. Importantly, members of this family have been involved in many pathological processes underlying the most common neurodegenerative disorders as well as different solid tumors and hematological malignancies. The relevance of this miRNA family in the pathogenesis of these disorders and their possible influence on the severity of their manifestations will be discussed. A better understanding of the miR-181 family in pathological conditions may open new therapeutic avenues for devasting disorders such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.

Dialect of the Tribe: Modes of Communication and the Epiphanic Role of Nonhuman Imagery in T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets*

2015 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-112
Author(s):  
William Kevin Penny
Keyword(s):  
Natural World ◽  
Human Language ◽  
Distinct Mode ◽  
Apparent Contradiction ◽  
Unique Type ◽  
Four Quartets ◽  
Bird Calls ◽  
The Past ◽  
Ideal Form

In T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets an attempt is made to investigate—often in a discursive manner—notions of time, language, and the divine. Yet the poet is hindered by certain limitations: words—as a primary vehicle of expression—collapse under the pressure, frequently sabotaging attempts at true articulation as detailed in the poem's opening quartet, Burnt Norton: “Words strain, / Crack and sometimes break, under the burden, / Under the tension. . .” (V: 149–51). Consequently, the medium of language itself frames an apparent contradiction throughout the Quartets: how a contrived system can represent notions intrinsically elusive and ephemeral. This conundrum inculcates all four of the poems, making them in some ways the ironic frame of their own reference. Despite this inherent dilemma, Eliot recognized that harnessing certain imagery—both animate and inanimate—and exploiting it for its numinous qualities was indispensable to achieving his aesthetic and thematic aims. Such imagery included elements taken from the natural world which pointed beyond their own outward forms to some ideal form that lay behind them. It was an approach motivated in part by what Frye describes as the poet's concern with Heraclitean logos zynos—or a “common logos”—and had as its aim the participation of man in the divine. To achieve such ends, Eliot relied on bird calls, echoes, bones, bells, and other seemingly prosaic phenomena and transformed them into conduits by which revelations might occur. That is, certain central images the poet adopts in Four Quartets—though not endowed with the capacity for human language—are nevertheless engendered with communicativeness of a uniquely numinous kind. Aligned with this notion was Eliot's belief that the way to commune with the past and with the divine was through ritual; by employing common natural objects and investing each with sacramental significance, the poet was able to evoke a temporal link with the ineffable world. It was also a means of reconciling what he perceived as the disjuncture with conventional language. By grounding the effort in an approach reminiscent of sacred Christian ritual and aesthetically portraying a new mode of communication consistent with transformative ceremony, Eliot aimed at the restoration of a past community of values. This highly distinct mode of communing came to represent its own unique type of langue, carrying forward thematic concerns while at the same time detailing a stylistic approach to poetic composition not prevalent in Eliot's earlier work.

Thinking Interactively

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Paris
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Biological Psychiatry ◽  
Neural Connections ◽  
The Past ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
The Mind

The human mind favors linear thinking, with single causes leading to single effects. Thinking interactively is much more difficult. Understanding mental disorders as due to chemical imbalances or abnormal neural connections is tempting. However, it is wrong to view the neural level as more “real” than measures of the mind. This kind of thinking pays lip service to psychosocial factors but loses sight of the important role that life events play in the etiology of mental disorders. In the past, psychotherapists were just as blindly linear in their thinking. They made broad generalizations, oversimplifying the role of life experiences, sometimes attributing all psychopathology to adverse events in childhood. In parallel with the reductionism of biological psychiatry, these models failed to consider the complexity of pathways from risk factors to outcomes. A more scientifically valid view is that mental disorders arise from complex interactions between genetic vulnerability and psychosocial adversity.

scholarly journals Targeting Immune-Related Biological Processes in Solid Tumors: We do Need Biomarkers

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (21) ◽  
pp. 5452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Pagni ◽  
Elena Guerini-Rocco ◽  
Anne Maria Schultheis ◽  
Giulia Grazia ◽  
Erika Rijavec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solid Tumors ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Immune Checkpoint Blockade ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Companion Diagnostics ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Us ◽  
Selection For

Immunotherapy has become the standard-of-care in many solid tumors. Despite the significant recent achievements in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, several issues related to patients’ selection for immunotherapy remain unsolved. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that, in this setting, the vision of a single biomarker is somewhat naïve and imprecise, given that immunotherapy does not follow the rules that we have experienced in the past for targeted therapies. On the other hand, additional immune-related biomarkers that are reliable in real-life clinical practice remain to be identified. Recently, the immune-checkpoint blockade has been approved in the US irrespective of the tumor site of origin. Further histology-agnostic approvals, coupled with with tumor-specific companion diagnostics and guidelines, are expected in this field. In addition, immune-related biomarkers can also have a significant prognostic value. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of these biomarkers and their characterization in the management of lung cancer, melanoma, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, head and neck cancer, renal cell carcinoma, urothelial cancers, and breast cancer.

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